Using a grafmatic with less than six sheets

[abruzzi]

Easy question that I think I know the answer to but I would rather not waste sheets trying out:

If I want to load less than six sheets in my grafmatic. I know I need all six septums loaded (right?) but if I fill three septums and put the empty septums on the bottom and the full ones on the top. Close everything up, and advance the counter to "4", then I can shoot through as normal and know that when I get to X I'm done? I'm pretty sure I'll remember how many sheets are loaded, but sometime I forget, and I'd like to set it up so I simply know I'm done when it gets to X. Is any of this wrong? (note: mine doesn't have the little wheel that marks the sheet with the number, so I'm not going to get sheeter marked 4,5, and 6.

Anyone have better idea how to use a grafmatic with less than 6 sheets?

 

[bdial]

I haven’t used a Grafmatic for a long time, but that seems like it should work.

 

[Truzi]

It should work. You can also experiment without film in the septa (put a piece of paper in 3 of them), and not mounted on the camera.
Just cycle through and see how well your idea works.

Depending on the condition of your Grafmatics, you may be fine only loading 3 septa in the unit, but then you have to keep track (or just stop before exposure #4). I've done it with my Kinematics using only 8 septa (they are similar to Grafmatics, but hold 10). There may be a point where too few septa cause issues.

 

[abruzzi]

Thanks. I was trying in my head to think through the process how it works inside the grafmatic and I was pretty sure there wouldn't be an issue. You may wonder why, if I only want to shoot three sheets, would I even use the grafmatic instead of two regular film holders. Last time I shot the grafmatic, there was a light leak on one of the corners. I think it was a camera issue, not a grafmatic issue, or an issue with my processes. So I'm trying it on another camera and I figure testing 6 sheets at $1.20 a sheet (the cheapest film I have in my freezer) is $7.20 which isn't horrible (compared to the six sheets of Provia 100F I ruined) but I'll take what I can save, and running 3 sheets through seems like it should be enough for the test.

 

[gary mulder]

If I'm not mistaken, the empty ones have to go on top of the pile and the full ones at the bottom.